Characters
Valerin Caldwyre Protagonist of the first chapter in the series, Rats in the Cellar, Valerin is a former member the Dernhem capitol City Guard turned Constable under the command Luther Vandermoor. She is headstrong, confident, compassionate, intelligent, and observant, though she is also prone to impulsiveness under pressure due to her hot-blooded nature. Despite her young age (which is stated to be somewhere between 18 and 25), she is well-seasoned in combat through her years in The Guard. It is unknown why she has a surname, when basically the only people in Dernhem who have them are the ruling nobles. She normally wields a single-grip sword and shield combination, but in Rats in the Cellar, she wields a mace that he confiscated off a criminal she tracked to the inn. Her capture at the end of her chapter is what kick starts the events of the main story. Among the main heroines of the series, she is the only one who isn't proficient in some form of sorcery, being purely a classic melee fighter in plate armor. She doesn't even wield enchanted gear of any kind, putting her at a severe disadvantage when faced with the supernatural forces currently plaguing Dernhem. Originally, her tale was supposed to be a mere standalone illustrated story in the original Rats in the Cellar before the author, Fairbourn, decided to work her into the large narrative he began constructing in his subsequent works, Twisted Plot ''and ''Fair Harvest. Her ultimate fate would have likely remained a mystery for good if not for that decision. Avora Villios Main character of the second chapter, Twisted Plot, Avora is a powerful sorceress that used to serve the former High Lady Maladyne before a woeful falling out with her. After returning from across the sea in a years long absence from her home, Avora sets out to put a stop to Maladyne's schemes once and for all. Avora wields a powerful magical artifact called the Wand of Antreatos, through which she can cast many powerful spells. She mainly uses it to blast things apart or attack enemies during her chapter of the story. Though apparently she has many other talents in the Magic Arts. Avora is confident to the point of arrogance and haughty even, despite the hardships she's suffered since she was last in Dernhem. She pursues her former Lady with a vengeful heart and a mind of steel. During Twisted Plot, she enters the abandoned grounds of Mitesceru Manor, former home of her old master, to search out the full details of Maladyne's scheme and uncover the truth behind the strange occurrences, monsters running free and wild across the countryside, and rash of disappearances. There she is set upon by living plant life known as Sleeper's Banes, and she forced to go on the defensive against these surprising odds. Deirdre Heroine of the third chapter, Fair Harvest, Deirdre is a human shape-shifter who can take on the attributes and partial appearances of various animals with the usage of small enchanted animal totems she has constructed. Preferring to run wild in the woods and fields of Dernhem to having to content with city life, she is displeased at having to go undercover in The Fair Harvest Inn by Luther Vandermoor, but follows her orders faithfully regardless. Wild and untamed, but nevertheless intelligent and kind, Deirdre is one of Luther's best spies thanks to her unique magical ability. Fast and quiet as a fox, or as strong and fierce as a bear, she is good for any mission he gives her. Or so they thought. She was original introduced in Fair Harvest ''during Fairbourn's first pass at the story, but his revisions of ''Rats in the Cellar gave her a brief early cameo, and she also appears as one of the main focuses of Tangled Threads, an additional chapter set between Twisted Plot ''and ''Fair Harvest. An updated version of her solo chapter will eventually replace the current, outdated version.